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Infinite’s Nam Woo-hyun embarks on new journey with ‘Hold on Me’

  • Published : May 8, 2019 - 23:08
  • Updated : May 8, 2019 - 23:08

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(Yonhap)


As a member of long-running K-pop boy band Infinite, Nam Woo-hyun has spent much of his life under the spotlight.

He has been hailed as one of the most talented vocalists in the scene. Not for a single moment, however, has he been satisfied with his talent nor stopped struggling as a musician, said the singer -- the reason why his third solo EP is titled “A New Journey.”

“For the past 10 years, I’ve never considered myself as a complete musician. Each album, each song felt like homework for me, and I’ve always thought that I lacked in musical ability. And through my new album I wanted to embark on a new journey and try new things, expand my musical spectrum,” said the Infinite vocalist during a showcase in Seoul on Tuesday.


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Marking Nam’s first release in eight months since the “Second Write..” EP, the new EP is fronted by lead track “Hold on Me,” a rhythmical electronic dance music house pop track that strays away from the singer’s previous balladry vibe.

Partially written by Nam himself, the song features rising rapper Junoflo, who participated in penning the song. While incorporating Nam’s velvety vocals, the song features the singer dancing to the upbeat melody, bringing out the idol-like side of the emotional crooner. Labelmate Tag of Golden Child joined Nam onstage to perform “Hold on Me” during the showcase.

“While I used to stick to ballad tracks in the past, I wrote and composed dance tracks for the first time. I wanted to show people that I was capable of writing dance tracks as well,” he said.

Nam also shared that he was a huge fan of Junoflo, to whom he personally reached out to request the collaboration.


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Sharing details on each track, Nam said it took him longer to release the album because he had to juggle between his solo work and Infinite’s group activities.

Expressing his affection toward the group, Nam said, “I wouldn’t be here if it were not for Infinite. In fact, I think I value my musicality as an Infinite member as much as the one as a solo artist. I always feel burdened while promoting solo, as I sometimes feel incomplete without my bandmates, which is also the reason I’ve put more effort in my new album.”

“I’ve been in this scene for the past 10 years, but I’ve always felt that I was a big frog in a small pond. No matter how hard I tried, only a certain amount of people seemed to recognize me. I still haven’t found an answer to my struggle, but I will keep challenging myself and never stop growing up until I find an outfit that suits me,” he added.

The second Infinite member to go solo following Kim Sung-kyu, Nam released his first solo EP “Write” in May 2016. His second EP “Second Write..,” consisting of self-written and produced songs, was released in September last year.

The new seven-track EP features several upbeat tracks, like “Rain,” “Stranger” and “Crying Baby,” as well as seasonal ballad “Flower,” a song dedicated to fans.

“Hold on Me” was released on local music platforms Tuesday evening.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)

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